Blowout Prevention Act of 2010

Summary

Blowout Prevention Act of 2010 - Prohibits the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (appropriate federal official) from issuing a permit to drill for a high-risk well unless the applicant for such permit demonstrates, the Chief Executive Officer of the applicant attests in writing, and the appropriate federal official determines that: (1) the blowout preventer and other well control measures will prevent a blowout from occurring; (2) the applicant has an oil spill response plan that ensures that the applicant has the capacity to promptly stop a blowout in the event the blowout preventer and other well control measures fail; and (3) the applicant has the capability to begin and complete drilling of a relief well within specified timeframes. Prohibits any operator who intends to drill a high-risk well for which a permit to drill is not required from drilling such a well unless the operator obtains the appropriate federal official's approval prior to drilling. Sets forth blowout preventer regulation requirements, including requiring: (1) the use of blowout preventers in all high-risk well drilling operations and prescribing safety standards for such blowout preventers; (2) testing of any blowout preventer component after a significant well control event at a high-risk well; (3) documentation of blowout preventer maintenance and repair; (4) ensuring safe design of high-risk wells; (5) well casing designs and cementing programs for a high-risk well to ensure that well control will be maintained and that there will be no unintended flow path between any hydrocarbon-bearing formation zone and the wellhead; (6) establishment of procedures and technologies to be used during drilling to minimize the risk of ignition and explosion of material discharged from the well during a well control event; and (7) establishment of stop-work requirements for oil and gas exploration and production activities at such wells. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) independent third party certification of inspections, design reviews, system integration tests, and testing of blowout preventers; and (2) inspections of drilling operations of high-risk wells. Requires the appropriate federal official to appoint members to a Well Control Technical Advisory Committee, which shall assess blowout preventer and well control technologies, practices, voluntary standards, and regulations. Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the Coast Guard, and the Department of the Interior to enter into an agreement to facilitate the Board's investigation of the facts, circumstances, and causes of an accidental fire, explosion, or release involving an offshore oil or gas exploration or production facility.

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Documents

4 official files

• Reported to House amended, Part I

  summary · EN · 29 July 2010

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• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 29 June 2010

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• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 29 June 2010

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• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 29 June 2010

  Open at official source

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